Specific challenge: Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is a chronic disease affecting worldwide around 17 Million people. The disease T1DM may present at any age, but most typically presents in early life with a peak around puberty. The incidence rate is highest in Europe affecting altogether 22 /100.000 per year, with major regional differences and an overall 25% higher incidence rate than in the US (www.diapedia.org). The rising incidence of T1DM appears to be explained by faster conversion from islet-antigen seropositivity to manifest β-cell failure. However, the scientific insights to the triggering events, disease susceptibilities, and subsequent pathophysiological events leading to failing β-cell function & beta cell loss in human disease are quite limited. Rational disease modifying therapeutic approaches to address T1DM are lacking.

Please refer to the full topic text on the IMI2 Call 1 section of the IMI website: http://www.imi.europa.eu/content/stage-1-13

Scope: The overall aim of the project is to significantly progress the understanding of the T1DM disease and its patients by bringing together leading clinicians and researcher from the areas of Immunology, Beta cell biology, and biomarker research from academia and industry. It is expected that this initiative will significantly progress the molecular understanding of the pathophysiology of T1DM and of the impact provided by standard of medical care upon T1DM patients.

Please refer to the full topic text on the IMI2 Call 1 section of the IMI website.

Expected impact: The project should help gain an improved molecular understanding of the T1DM patients, deliver insights into the disease heterogeneity and provide tools for identification of high-risk patients. Ultimately the outcome will be the definition and refinement of T1DM disease taxonomy which could create a foundation for personalized therapy of T1DM patients.

Please refer to the full topic text on the IMI2 Call 1 section of the IMI website.